knittingmag.com 21YARN REVIEW
NORTHERN YARN
METHERANorthern Yarn is a small
business success story. Owner
Kate Makin started off with
a market stall and has had to
move to a larger shop to cater
for growing demand for yarn,
workshops and knit nights.
Methera is a blend of four
fleeces – Zwartbles, Cheviot,
Shetland and Bluefaced
Leicester – from farms in
Lancashire and Cumbria. Its
name is the number four in
the northern traditional sheep
counting system.
Methera is a surprisingly
strong worsted-spun 4 ply
with excellent drape and stitch
definition. Its unique blend
gives it a pale grey base colour,
which you can see in undyed
Natural Grey and underlying
its three dyed shades,
including Teal (pictured).
Methera would be great for
shawls and accessories like
hats and mitts, and there are
some patterns on the website.
Hand-wash, dry flat. Wet-
block to open stitches up.Composition: 65% Cheviot,
20% BFL, 10% Shetland,
5% Zwartbles wool
Weight: 100g Length: 350m
RRP: £16
Contact: northernyarn.co.ukLANG YARNS
WOOL ADDICTS TRUSTTrust is a very loosely spun
bouclé. Its central core is soft
and fluffy, almost as if it has
been combed. This is bound
by a finer strand to create a
slightly wavy effect, which
makes it easy to knit with. The
swatch below demonstrates
how versatile this yarn can be:
it shows lacy structures well
for a chunky yarn, and would
work well with large cables and
textures. There are 10 shades
in the range – teal (pictured),
copper and deep lilac, plus
seven neutral shades.
Designs are inspired by
comfort and wrapping up
against the cold. There is a
shawl-style cardigan, a ribbed
sweater and an oversized
high-neck sweater with a
long back. Accessories like
a hooded gilet, hats and a
tasselled scarf or shawl make
up the rest of a nine-strong
design collection. Wash with
a suitable wool detergent, do
not tumble-dry.Composition: 55% alpaca,
45% extrafine Merino
Weight: 50g Length: 75m
Rec needle size: 8mm
Tension (10cm): 11 sts x 15 rows
RRP: €9.95 (£8.65)
Contact: wooladdicts.comRICO FA SH I O N COT TON
DOUBLE PRINTED DK
Fashion Cotton Double
Printed DK is a luxuriously
soft cotton yarn, with 10%
polyamide to help projects
keep their shape. It has a
chainlike construction that
makes it really quick and
bouncy to knit with. I was really
impressed with how evenly
this knitted up, even before
blocking. It produces fabric
that is both lightweight and
breathable, ideal for summer.
I was immediately drawn
to the colours of this yarn.
The spray effect is created by
overlaying two different prints,
which makes the gradient really
gentle, with the occasional
dab of colour for interest and
accent. There are six gradient
shades to choose from and
some have more contrast
than others. They are all very
suitable for summer garments
and accessories, knitted in a
standard DK weight. Machine-
wash at 30ºC, do not iron or
tumble-dry.
Composition: 90% cotton,
10% polyamide
Weight: 50g Length: 135m
Rec needle size: 4mm
Tension (10cm): 22 sts x 30 rows
RRP: £6
Contact: rico-design.de
CASCADE YARNS
220 MERINOThis brand new yarn from
Cascade is made from 100%
Merino wool and provides
fabulous stitch definition.
220 Merino is made up of four
tightly spun plies, making it
ideal for aran-weight or style
projects. It has a generous
metreage, so you may want
to use it as a substitute yarn.
Always check length, weight
and tension details before
starting on a project.
Cascade Yarns is well known
for its colours and 220 Merino
has an amazing 69 shades,
including 59 Shrubbery
(pictured), with an emphasis
on natural shades.
This broad range makes it a
great choice for colourwork.
There are 13 designs to choose
from, including a woman’s
sweater and cardigan, plus
accessories, some of which will
be one-skein projects.
Hand-wash in cool water,
lay flat to dry away from
direct sunlight.Composition: 100% Merino
wool
Weight: 100g Length: 200m
Rec needle size: 4.5–5mm
Tension (10cm): 18-20 sts
RRP: US$12 (£9.39)
Contact: cascadeyarns.com